Delirium of a lively, active, vivid character, alternating in short periods with the most apparent horrified fright, seeming to dread the approach of some imaginary monster, and giving utterance in the most piteous appeals for help, protection.
Sings, talks, fancies that there are dogs in the room, which he describes and attempts to chase, springing suddenly to his feet, and as suddenly toppling over; sometimes talks of events of the day as though they were now taking place. He sings and utters obscene things. Great excitement continued for some time, the child sang and screamed turned the eyes about and moved the hands for several hours, till at last he fell asleep; even the next day singing and screaming continued. He dreams with eyes open, begins to chatter nonsense, and when his friends set him right, he excuses himself, that they should have told him of it before, and immediately recommences his waking dreams and to speak to the same objects. He sways to and fro like a drunken man. (* Revised by Hughes. *) Phantasmata are around him. Caught at the bedclothes and everything around her. Frequently he lay down upon his knees, stretched out his arms, and groped about as though seeking something. He often raised himself on his knees, continually stretched out his arms, employed his hands as if searching for something he wanted. Outward grasping of the hands; at times at the nose or head. She was observed to catch at the blaze of the fire in a very singular manner, and a few moments after fell on the floor as if she had been paralyzed on one side. Constantly picking at the bedclothes and frequently bursting into violent fits of laughter. There was a constant reaching of the hands for some imaginary object. Picking at bedclothes. Picking at imaginary objects in the air, and has a violent maniacal action (after four hours and a half). He grasps at the air with his hands, laughs, crawls about his bed. He would sit up occasionally, but never shut his eyes, and would sometimes catch at imaginary objects. Quite irrational, picked the bedclothes, saw bugs, etc. (after two hours). When left to himself, he groped about with his hands, and, touching objects, he immediately withdrew them; but when he felt himself falling he endeavored to catch at something so as to prevent it. With fixed eyes and dilated, immovable pupils, he saw nothing, recognized none of his friends, stretched out his hand around him continually, as if he would lay hold of something, and stamps his feet. Subsultus tendinum, picking about the bedclothes, and grasping at random around her. The limbs were motionless and paralyzed; the arms, on the contrary, were constantly reaching forwards and upwards, with an uncertain tremulous motion, as if the patient were endeavoring to seize some object, which he indistinctly perceived in the air. When roused he seemed bewildered, and would not give any account of himself. He could stand when placed upon his legs; but groped about and caught at imaginary objects, as patients are observed to do in cases of poisoning by Belladonna. Next morning, got up two or three times, and went to bed again each time. He jumped from his bed at midnight, and ran about the room, caught at every one as he passed them, said a man was chasing him, and repeatedly said, “You shan’t have me.” When his father got him to recognize him, the boy said, “Why, papa, is that you?” and commenced stroking or rather clawing with his fingers at his father’s face.
Talkative mania; he complaints that a dog is biting and tearing the flesh of his chest. Much talking, with difficult speech.
(Paroxysms of constant talking, or of rage, or he breaks into loud laughter, or he acts as if he were spinning). During catamenia excessive loquacity. Continual incoherent talking.
Constant talking and yet unable to articulate a syllable. After being put to bed, the child began to sing and talk in a confused manner; she talked incessantly and unintelligibly, and frequently cried; she constantly beat the air with her hands as though trying to grasp something or searched about the bed with the fingers. They lie in bed stupid, with a muttering delirium.- Talked foolishly. As the boy began to improve he endeavored to answer, but after speaking two or three words, he again became incoherent, and returned to his wild delirium. Constant muttering, seeming desirous to say something to his mother, but unable to articulate. Speech much confused and incoherent, and he was totally unconscious of what was said to him, shuddering and seeming much frightened. Muttering incoherently, and unable to reply to questions. Muttered frequently. Constant muttering.
The mental power was especially disturbed; the patient stammered incessantly and unintelligibly; shed tears and seemed to be suffering from the most violent pains. Muttering to himself.
Stuttering and uttering of inarticulate sounds. Prattling incessantly without any sense of understanding, and without any connection. He talks with a person whom he does not know, and answers that person as if he were in his senses; but, on coming to his senses, he does not recollect the conversation. He talks little, and utters single, broken words with a higher voice.
(Screams until he is hoarse; until he loses his voice). Crying, and in an almost convulsive state of agitation. She was brought home by a friend who found her wandering in the bazaar. At the sight of her mistress she first began to cry, endeavored to hide herself, and was afraid of every one who approached her; she picked at the air with her fingers, sometimes was laughing, at others crying and rushing away to hide, as if apprehensive of some evil. Inarticulate cries. Sobbing and whining after the menses. Moaning. Delirious laughing, making faces and behaving generally like an intoxicated person or like a fool, pulling his clothes, making laughing grimaces, with a staring look.
Occasional laughing for an hour; after the hour she cried, about 11 A.M. The boy was inclined to smile and jest (after a few hours). Excited; commenced to sing; confused talk, continued unintelligible talking; grasping in the air and scratching with hands on the bedcovers. Aberration of the reason, laughing, whining. A disposition to laugh, and there was a half smiling look all the time. He thought he was dying and would not live through the evening, he was glad that he was dying, and made preparations for his funeral, with otherwise perfect reason, and without feeling remarkably sick. In the evening after lying down in bed, very sad, with thoughts of death and with violent weeping. Sadness. (* Add, at first.-HUGHES. *) Feels as if nothing could give her enjoyment. Depression of spirits, indisposed to converse (third day); buoyancy of spirits (fourth day). Despair. Peculiar sensation of anxiety. Great anxiety.
Anxiety. Inclines to start, irritable (after thirty-two hours).
Often starts up in affright. Fever of being in the dark to a less extent of being alone, in the evening after sunset (tenth day).
His whole conduct and countenance was like that of a child severely frightened and apprehending some terrible calamity.
Extreme watchfulness. Very ill-humored, even unto vehemence, followed immediately after by a disposition to laugh, even loud.
The peevishness and fretfulness lasted for about six weeks. When spoken to he appeared peevish and irritable, and answered by a sharp cry, or said sharply, “Let me alone,” all his words being curtailed in a curious way. Out of temper; irritated all day (second day); very irritable (third day). Great depression of sensation and irritability in general. I felt very nervous, excited, and irritable, and continually paced up and down my room. Exceedingly irritable and fretful, nothing pleases him next day; quarrelsome with his brother and sister. Great irritability of temper (after half an hour). Increased irritability (after 200 drops). Extreme irritability; he makes all his motions so fast (during the first hour) that finally he cannot move any more and all turns black before his eyes. Continued violent scolding; senseless quarrelling. Rapid alternations of laughter, weeping, and singing. Extremely variable humor. Intellectual. Not disposed to any real work. Would not answer questions (after one hour). Confusion of mind and continual reaching out for imaginary objects (after three hours). Confusion of intellect (after four hours). From the senses it extends its influence to the mental faculties. The imagination is confused and disturbed with fear. Terrifying apprehension perplex the mind and impress on the countenance the image of this passion. Dulness of mind (after first dose, second day). Intellect affected, etc.
Confusion of intellect, he laughs and moans. Confusion of mind.
Great confusion of ideas (third day). As the patient began to improve she found it difficult to speak the right work in answering. When writing, put letters in wrong place and omitted them (ninth day). When speaking, put words in the wrong place, and made mistakes in spelling when writing (third day). After several pipefuls, he would begin to call things by wrong names, e. g., his boots, logs of wood; his bedroom, the stable, etc., and this without knowing it; and is remarkable that he almost miscalled the same things. He was a very small drinker, and always remembered the subject of his conversation, but not language. After sound sleep, he would regain the power of speaking intelligibly. When about to look for a symptom in repertory, could not think for some time what I had intended to do (sixth day). Activity of mind peculiarly disturbed, patient stammering unconnected words all the time, shedding tears; all the symptoms seem to indicate much suffering. Was able to answer only in a disconnected and lolling manner. Memory disturbed for a long time after the poisoning. Rather inclined to be forgetful; forgot where a paper had been put a day or two ago; hunted for the spectacles and found they were in my hands all the time (eighth day). The loss of recollection appears connected with an inward uneasiness, and to proceed from it. Diminished memory. Absence of mind, twenty-four hours; bland delirium. In the intervals of half consciousness he is cognizant of his waking dreams, but at these times cannot remember what he did or said in the previous lucid interval. She remembered nothing afterwards, not even her wandering in the bazaar. Loss of memory, etc.
Born in 1837in Westminster, Vermont. . He was an orthodox doctor who converted to homeopathy
Dr. Allen compiled the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica over the course of 10 years.
In 1881 Allen published A Critical Revision of the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica.